BEN KRAHN
CHAD VOGT
CHET THOMAS
HELPFUL HINTS FOR OWNING A RAMP
•Talk to your neighbors. Before you go out and
buy or steal wood and put all that work into build-
ing your ramp, let your neighbors know that you are
planning to be considerate about it. For example,
set up times when you will be skating. If it's near
other houses, maybe tell your neighbors that on
weekdays you'll stop at 5:30. Also tell them that if
they ever, for whatever reason, want you not to
skate on a certain day, you'll agree to hold off no
questions asked. Just try and be civil with them. It
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can make your life so much easier if you don't have
to worry about problems with neighbors.
City officials might come and try to see what you
got going, so be prepared. Hang up a fire extinguisher.
If the ramp is inside, put up a smoke alarm. Post somet
no smoking signs. Any steps you take might persuade
the officials to move on to more important situations
like the drug dealers up the block.
•If you build it, they will come. Understand that
people will call you to skate. It's the nature of the
beast. Remember how it felt when you didn't have a
ramp and had to call whoever it was that had one to
see if you could skate? Sometimes it's not so easy.
Be cool to those who call you. All they want to do is
skate. No big deal. If you can have only a certain
number of people skating at a time, then set a limit.
When you hit that limit, just be honest with whoever
else calls, wanting to skate. Tell them the session's
full and they should try again tomorrow. If you're
straight about it, they'll understand. And don't get
pissed if some people only call you to skate your
ramp. It's just the way it is. They're hungry to skate,
and you have the facility. Just understand that and
be straight with them.
•Set up a few important rules such as: Don't park in
your neighbors' driveways. Don't smoke around the
ramp. If you came to skate, skate-don't just come to
hang out. Whatever you feel is important, post it up
and make it clear to everyone so that there's less crap
for you to worry about..
Remember that just because you have a ramp
doesn't make you any more powerful or important
than anyone else. Skating with your friends is what
it's all about. Get on a power trip about how you own
a ramp and people should kiss your ass and blah,
blah, blah-before you know it, you'll be one lonely.
bored ramp owner.
Have some ice packs handy. People get hurt;
be prepared.
•Understand that anything by any hippie bands played
on the stereo will bring a good session to a grinding halt.
Enjoy yourselves. Leave the competition to the jocks.
-Jim Thiebaud
MINI-RAMP TIME LINE
1960s-70s:
Shallow ends of pools are the first mini trannies assaulted.
1970s to early '80s:
Skateparks emerge featuring smaller pools and
bowls that don't go all the way up to vert. Skaters of
the time learn tricks in the small bowls and then
take them to the deep keyholes, capsules, peanuts